Consensus emerging for reservation to poor: NCEBC

Published: Wednesday, November 21, 2007, 16:38 [IST]

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Jaipur, Nov 21(UNI) A national consensus is emerging in favour of provision of reservation to economically weak strata in the non SC, non ST and non OBCs communities, according to the National Commission for Economically Backward Classes (NCEBC).

Talking to reporters here today, the commission Chairman Maj Gen (Retd) S R Sinho and Members Narendra Kumar and Mahendra Singh said that the commission had so far visited two states of Haryana and Rajasthan and was in the process of undertaking visits to other states.

They said that Haryana Chief Minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda had categorically conveyed to the commission that his government was in favour of extending reservation benefits to poor people of the EBCs category.

Besides this, Rajasthan Government had also strongly advocated for reservation benefits to these strata and had even consitituted a state level commission for this purpose.

They said that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati had also favoured reservation for poor strata in higher castes and even written to the Prime Minister in this regard.

Railway Minister and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad was also strongly in its faovur and in Bihar there was a general feeling in favour of this measure, Member Narendra Kumar, who hails from Bihar, said.

The commission was touring Rajasthan for the last two days and had held meetings with the state Social Welfare Minister Madan Dilawar, Chief Secretary D C Samant and other high officials and the Rajasthan State Economically Backward Classes Commission Chairman Justice Shashi Kant Sharma, Mr Sinho said.

After Rajasthan the commission would now visit Uttar Pradesh from November 26 and Bihar from November 29, Mr Sinho added.